The ceasefire that ended Operation Protective Edge "represents a victory for the resistance," terror leader Marwan Barghouti of Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction told Reuters on Thursday.
"We consider that the battle represents a victory for the resistance," said Barghouti, who is serving a life sentence in Israeli prison for multiple terror attacks on Israeli civilians. "(It) proved that Israel cannot and does not have the ability to resolve the conflict by military force, and that the only way to end the conflict is to end the occupation in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967."
Barghouti called on the international community, as well as Palestinian Arabs worldwide, to support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel to place pressure on the Jewish state to withdraw from Judea and Samaria, despite the fact that Israel's authority over the region never violated international law.
"The Palestinians must make the price of the occupation dear on Israel," he declared. "Freedom in Palestine will not be realized until the launching of a broader resistance associated with a broader political, economic and security boycott for the occupation."
"The promotion of a campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the occupation (was) a prelude to isolating it internationally and putting international sanctions on it," Barghouti continued.
The jailed terrorist does not, however, advocate returning to peace talks, claiming that the negotiations have failed Palestinian Arabs in conquering the land Israel liberated in its war for independence.
"Negotiations with Israel failed over 20 years in achieving freedom, return and independence," he claimed. "I do not see that Israel is ready for real peace, but wants to use fruitless negotiations to continue its occupation and settlement and to ease its international isolation."
Barghouti's statements follow Hamas's constant rain of rockets on Israeli civilians, which saw over 3,500 rockets lobbed at millions of Israelis during the recent fifty-day military operation.
The Fatah-based terror leader has called to reject negotiations before, most notably during the first few days after the ceasefire was declared last month.
"The time has come for Fatah members to roll up their sleeves and take part in the biggest (ever) comprehensive resistance, with the appropriate methods and tactics, to realize the goal," he stated at the time, calling for Fatah not to let Hamas outpace it in terror.